Refrigerating apparatus



Nov. 17, 1931. -J. G. KING REFRIGERATING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 31. 1927 Gummy:

; Patented Nov. 17, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JESSE G. KING, OF DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, T FRIGIDAIRE CORPORATION, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Application filed May 31,

This invention relates to refrigerating apparatus, particularly small household or commercial plants of the compresser-condenserexpander type.

' This application is a continuation in part of my application, Serial No. 149,462, filed November 19,1926. v

One of the objects of the invention is to improve the construction of the condenser to make possible more effective cooling.

Another object is to arrange the condenser to facilitate the circulation of air.

Another object is to reduce the noise formerly characteristic of air cooled plants of this type.

Another object is to prevent excessive pres-. sure in the compressor and refrigerant lines.

Still another object is to provide an improved and compact machine unit for refrigcrating system.

Other objects will appear in the accompanying description and annexed drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a refrigerating apparatus embodying one form of my invention, the system to which it is applied being indicated diagrammatically.

Fig. 2 is a plan of a portion of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1 the top of the housing being removed, and

Fig. 3' is a section on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Referring to Fig. 1, the system comprises a conventional compressor 10, driven by a motor 11, which draws gaseous refrigerant from an evaporator diagrammatically represented at 13 and delivers it in compressed gaseous form to a condenser generally denoted by 14. The refrigerant condenses to liquid and flows to a receiver 15, Fig. 3, the liquid being forced into the evaporator by the pressure developed by the compressor. The motor is automatically started and stopped in response to conditions in the system by a pressure responsive switch 16.

In order to cool the compressed refrigerant effectively with air, it is necessary to have a condenser of large surface compared to the volume of refrigerant it contains. The usual manner of constructing such a condenser has been to provide one or more coils 1927. Serial No. 195,184.

20 wound of tubing of small bore, for example of the order of of an inch. Frequently the tubing is flattened to provide more surface per unit volume. Ithas been customary to cool such coils by placing one at caused excessive pressure in the compressor or piping, or both. Compressors in systems of this character are usually lubricated by the familiar splash system, oil being put in the crank case 22a. At times, particularly when the compressor is started in the course of the automatic operation of the system, some of the oil leaks past the piston and is pumped into the condenser. As an example,

a compressor may contain as much as three pounds of oil, and under certain conditions a pound or more may be pumped rapidly into the condenser. Due to the small size of the condenser tubing, the oil may not flow as fast as the compressor supplies it. Therefore an excessive pressure may be built up which may be sufficient to stall the motor, or to strain or even break the piping connections.

To remedy these defects I provide a reservoir for oil between the compressor and condenser coils 20, preferably a conduit of sufficient volume to hold a substantial proportion of the total quantity of oil contained in the compressor, and of cross-section shtficiently large to permit the oil to flow as fast as the compressor can supply it. The condu it should be able to hold at least a quarter and preferably about half of the oil contained in the compressor. I prefer to make this conduit of large copper pipe for example of inch bore and wind it into a cooling coil which slopesgradually downwardly to the condenser coils 20; As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the large pipe 22 is connected direct- 1y to the compressor, and is wound into a coil 23 which is placed above the coils 20 and connected to deliver oil and refrigerant to them in parallel.

The parts above described are preferably arranged as follows. The compressor, motor and coils 20 are mounted on the upper side of a base 30 while the receiver is mounted on the lower side of the base. The coils 20 have vertical braces for holding the convolutions in place and for supporting the coils upon the base 30 as shown in Fig. 3. The base with its attached devices is built into a housing including a frame 31 which may be conveniently formed of angle iron corner members 32 suitably riveted or bolted together and reenforced by gusset plates or braces 33, a top 34, front panel 35, back panel 36 and side panels 37 The base may be at tached in any suitable manner to the corner members 32. holding the convolutions in place and is supported in the upper part of the housing by the lugs 39 formed on some of the braces, the lugs being suitably bolted or otherwise secured to the upper corner members 32a. The side panels are secured to the corner members by any suitable means such as screws 40. The td'p panel is preferably covered with an impervious facing, such as non-corroding metal, to present an attractive appearance and to form a uesful table or shelf. The back panel 36 as well as the top panel 34: are imperforate, the two co-operating to form a bafiie in the shape of the Greek letter gamma, which serves to deflect air from the fan both over the side coils 20 and thru the top coil 23, as shown by the arrows in Figs. 2 and 3. The side and front panels are preferably perforated, for instance by having louvers 50, to permit the admission and discharge of air from the housing. Air enters the housing directly adjacent the fan thru the portion 51 of the front panel 35, a portion of it is deflected laterally thru the coils 20 by the motor and the back panel, as shown in Fig. 2, leaving the housing thru the two side panels 37, and a portion is deflected by the gammashaped bafiie thru the upper coil 23 and leaves the housing mainly thru the upper portion 55 of the front panel.

It will be seen that substantially the total length of the conduit 22 is in the path of the cooling air. The conduit thus acts not only as an oil reservoir but also a pre-cooler, or part of the condenser. The coolest air comes in contact wit-h the coils 20 Where the refrigcrant finally condenses to a liquid and thus where it is most needed. However the air which has been somewhat warmed by the motor and coils 20 can still cool the hot compressed refrigerant in coil 23 considerably. It has been found in practice that the addition of the coil-23 and its location as shown allows the refrigerant to be condensed with The coil 23 has braces 38 fora much smaller quantity of air. Consequently a smaller fan may be used. This has enabled me to reduce materially the noise formerly produced by the fan.

It is to be understood that the invention is notlimited to the particular details which have been selected for the sake of illustration merely, but includes modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

\Vhat is claimed is as follows:

1. Refrigerating apparatus comprising a compressor, a condensing conduit of relative ly small cross section, and a long conduit of relatively large cross section connecting the outlet of the compressor and inlet of the condenser, the end of said conduit nearest the condenser having a downward gradient.

2. Refrigerating apparatus comprising a compressor, a condensing conduit of relatively small cross section, and a long conduit of relatively large cross'section connecting the outlet of the compressor to the inlet of the condenser, said connecting conduit being in the form of a coil.

3. In refrigerating apparatus the combination of a compressor adapted to contain a quantity of lubricant, a condensing conduit of relatively small cross section, and a conduit of relatively large cross section connecting the outlet of the compressor and inlet of the condensing conduit, a substantial portion of said conduit having a gradual downward gradient the volume of the connecting conduit being sufiicient to contain a substantial proportion of the said quantity of lubricant.

4. In combination with apparatus as defined in claim 2, means for cooling the connecting conduit.

5. Refrigerating apparatus comprising a compressor, a pair of condensing coils of conduit, and a conduit connecting the inlets of the condensing coils in parallel to the outlet of the compressor, the area of the connecting conduit being greater than the combined areas of the conduits in the coils.

6. Refrigerating apparatus comprising a compressor, a condensing conduit of relatively small cross section, a blower for cooling the condenser, and a long conduit of relatively large cross section connecting the compressor and condenser, said connecting conduit having a portion sloping downwardly to the condenser, the greater portion of the connecting conduit being placed in the path of air moved by the blower.

7. Refrigerating apparatus comprising a compressor, a condenser including a pair of coils and a third coil connecting the pair of coils in parallel to the compressor, means for moving cooling air, and means for deflecting the moving air over all three coils.

8. Refrigerating apparatus comprising a compressor, a pair of condensing coils of tubing of relatively small cross section, a coil of tubing of relatively large cross section connecting the compressor and said pair of coils, a blower for moving cooling air, and means for deflecting the moving an over all three coils.

9. Refrigerating apparatus comprising a compressor, a pair of condensing coils of tubing, a coil of tubing connecting the compressor and said pair of coils, means for moving cooling air, and means for deflecting the moving air over all three coils, said last mentioned means including a motor for driving the air-moving means.

10. Refrigerating apparatus comprising a compressor, a pair of condensing coils of tubing, a coil of tubing connecting the compressor and said pair of coils, the connecting coil being disposed above the pair of coils, means adapted to move cooling air over the pair of coils and a' substantially gammashaped battle for deflecting the air over the upper coil.

11. Refrigerating apparatus, a housing containing a compressor, a motor for driving the compressor, a condensing coil disposed on either side of the motor, a blower for cooling said coils, and a condensing coil disposed above the motor and said pair of coils, the housing having an imperforate side and imperforate top for: deflecting air from the blower thru the upper coil.

12. Refrigerating apparatus comprising a reciprocating compressor having a discharge chamber, a condenser including a conduit of relatively small cross section, and a conduit of relatively large cross section connecting the discharge chamber and. condenser, the length of the large conduit being of the order of the length of the small conduit.

13. Refrigerating apparatus comprising a compressor, a condenser including a pair of coils of tubing of relatively small cross section, a coil of tubing of relatively largecross section connecting the compressor and said pair of coils, the connecting coil being dis-v posed above the pair of coils, a blower adapted to move cooling air over the pair of coils and a substantially vertical bafile for deflecting the air over the upper coil.

In testimony whereof I hereto afiix my signature.

JESSE G. KING. 

